A tragic incident apparently involving a train claimed the life of a Valdosta State University student in the early hours of Friday morning.

Just days before he was scheduled to start fall classes at VSU, James “Jake” Leonard Elkins Jr. was found dead on the train tracks near the 1700 block of Wayland Park Drive in Remerton.

Lowndes County Coroner Bill Watson pronounced the 19-year-old student from Cairo dead at 4:10 a.m. The teen’s death was the result of blunt-force trauma to the head and lower abdomen, Watson said. He was reportedly struck by a train.

The 911 call for assistance was received at 2:20 a.m., Watson said.

The call was made by the train engineer who was unable to determine the location where he struck the victim.

“He was hit by the train,” Watson explained. “He wasn’t laying on the tracks; he was laying inside of the tracks.”

Minor cuts and abrasions were found on the victim’s body, Watson said, meaning that the body was dragged by the train before it came to a halt.

As of Friday afternoon, Watson was unsure where on the train tracks the victim was actually struck.

Watson, who spoke to Elkins’ father on Friday, said the victim had been out with his roommate until 1:30 a.m.

“But the roommate went home and evidently he didn’t,” Watson said.

The father told Watson that Elkins was a resident of Remerton.

The victim’s body was transported to the Macon Crime Lab for autopsy and toxicology report.

Remerton Police Chief Mike Terrell said the train cars had to be separated so emergency responders could gain access to the victim. This led to railroad crossings on Lankford Drive and Baytree Road being blocked for hours.

The train was stopped until about 7 a.m., Terrell said.

Terrell said he hopes the autopsy and toxicology report will shed more light on this incident.

Valdosta State University confirmed that Elkins was a student last year and was enrolled for fall semester this year.

“Valdosta State University is a close-knit community,” Dr. Patrick J. Schloss, VSU president, said about the sophomore. “Our faculty and students share a deep bond. It is a tragic time when a member of the community is lost. Our prayers are with the family.”

Words probably cannot describe Elkins, said his former football coach, Tom Fallaw of the Cairo High School Syrupmakers.

“Jake was an outstanding kid,” he said. “He could draw you in. He was a three-year starter for us and he was an infectious person. He was one of those kids everybody wanted to be around.”

Elkins, a 2009 graduate, was a linebacker for the Syrupmakers and a member of the team that won the 2008 Class AAA State Championship.

Cairo High School Athletics Director Carlton Gainous said Elkins’ death is “a tremendous, awful tragedy.”

“Anyone that knew Jake Elkins knew he was everything you would look for in a son, a high school athlete, and a student,” he said. “He was a tremendous player and just a tremendous young person. The coaches visited the family and this is just something we’re all having a difficult time dealing with. Our prayers and condolences go out to them.”

Syrupmaker teammate and friend Angelo Pease, 19, said it hurt to learn of Elkins’ death.

“Jake was a good guy,” Pease said in a phone interview. “I never would have thought something would happen to him like that. To wake up one morning and get a text message that he’s gone, it’s hurtful. It hurts real bad.”

Pease moved to Kansas to attend college, but said he and Elkins kept in touch and messaged each other.

“He was an outgoing, friendly guy who never caused any trouble,” Pease said. “He was a guy you loved to hang out with. He was a hardworking player and a leader on the field. If he didn’t get it right one day, he came right back and tried harder the next. We were real close and I loved Jake. He was like a brother.”

Fallaw said the loss of Elkins is tragic.

“It kind of puts football way on the backburner and makes you realize sometimes reality is cruel,” he said. “This is definitely one of those times. We’re thinking of his family during this time and Jake will always be a part of the Syrupmaker family.”